This invention relates to an escalator system and more particularly to a safety device for an escalator system.
It is well known that escalator systems comprise a pair of opposite skirt plates forming the lower balustrade portions and the staircase formed of a plurality of stairs disposed and traveling in contiguous relationship along and between the skirt plates. Since the skirt plates are stationary and the staircase is a moving body, a gap in the order of several millimeters is provided between each of the lateral edges of the staircase and the adjacent skirt plate in order to prevent the two from contacting each other. The provision of such a gap makes some passengers fear that, if the passenger accidentally approaches either of the gaps that his or her shoe or calf or one portion of his or her clothes will be caught in the approaching gap. More specifically, the staircase is generally formed of a plurality of tread boards on which a passenger or passengers may ride and one riser covering a rise portion located between each pair of adjacent tread boards. During the downward movement of the staircase the contacting of a passengers calf or the like with either of the skirt plates causes the calf or the like to be spatially stationary due to friction developed therebetween. This leads to fear that the spatially stationary calf or the like will be caught in the gap between the adjacent skirt plate and that riser located behind the calf or the like due to the advance of the riser. Similarly during the upward movement of the staircase, a passenger's shoe or like may be taken into the gap between the adjacent skirt plate and that tread board located below the show or the like.
Various countermeasures have been previously made to such an accident. For example, either of the lateral edges of each tread board has been painted yellow in a width of several centimeters for a danger indication. Alternatively that cleat disposed at either of the lateral edges of each of the cleated tread boards has been higher than the remaining cleats thereon to play a role resembling that of a screen thereby to prevent a toe of a passenger's shoe or the like from directly contacting the gap as above described. To paint the lateral edges of each tread board has relied on the mental process of passengers and therefore been ineffective as to those passengers disregarding that warning. In addition, the paint has peeled away within a short time interval resulting in the damage to the appearance. Re-painting has required much labor and a long time. The provision of the higher cleat on the tread board has been ineffective for passengers riding on the tread boards with one foot thereof somewhat kept lifted. Thus the countermeasures as above described have lacked reliability.